Theatrefolk’s Top Program-Building Plays

Time for a Tfolk Top Plays List For….

Building a Theatre Program. You’ve had a large group of seniors graduate. You’re starting at a new school that doesn’t have a theatre program You’re taking over a program that needs some serious love. What plays should you choose to build your program?

Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. 

All the best with your search – and with building your program!

Choose a play with a familiar link that people know. Use the familiar as your hook.

Humbug High: A Contemporary Christmas Carol
A modern take on the classic Dickens tale. Eddie Scrooge is a 17-year-old Bah Humbug of a guy. Till one Christmas Eve when three ghosts change his life.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Winnie-the-Pooh
A theatrical adaptation of the first A.A. Milne book Winnie-the-Pooh. Join Pooh Bear, Piglet, and all their friends in the Hundred Acre wood.
Read an excerpt and order now.

The Wizard of Oz
Dorothy and Toto get swirled into a cyclone and find themselves dropped in the land of Oz – a land where scarecrows talk, lions are cowardly, and witches are very real. There's no place like home.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Treasure Island
Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest… Pirates sponging for rum, treasure maps filled with pieces of eight!
Join Jim, Long John Silver and the rest of his scurvy crew for this classic pirate adventure.Yo ho ho!
Read an excerpt and order now.

Dracula
Based on Bram Stoker’s timeless novel, Dracula is a highly theatrical exploration of the evil that lurks inside all of us… and how it can become all-consuming, draining away our humanity and turning us into monsters.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Choose a small cast play that will shine. Sometimes the best way to get people interested is by showcasing what you do. Make folks say "I want to get involved!"

Tuna Fish Eulogy
The tragedy of a young boy’s death is examined. Written in the Ladder play format the text runs in vertical columns for fuller choral work.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Upon A Sea of Dreams: A Journey on the Titanic
In a tiny third class cabin Emma dreams of a new life in America. But when the Titanic hits an iceberg, that dream becomes a nightmare.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Home of the Brave
An excellent character-driven piece for middle school students. Inspired by hundreds of interviews with those associated by all branches of the service.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Not Going Anywhere
A Mexican family struggles to get by while ICE attempts to tear them apart.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Franz Kafka Cancels His Cell Phone Plan
A modern absurdist play that puts elements from three of Franz Kafka’s works into the context of the everyday absurdities of our 21st century lives.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Mummu
A one act play inspired by an ancient Sumerian myth depicting one of the first Mesopotamian gods.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Have You Heard?
This monologue-based play explores what happens when rumours and secrets spin out of control. What makes a secret more powerful: when it’s true or a lie?
Read an excerpt and order now.

Choose something fun. School is stressful enough, emphasize that your next production is going to be a place where students can have a good time. 

The Plucky Pie Murder
The star quarterback has been charged with murdering the mascot and a farce of a trial ensues. The audience plays the jury in this black comedy.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Horror Movie 101: Failing Can Be Deadly
This collection of haunting, horrifying, harrowing AND humorous scenes will keep you laughing as you keep your eyes covered.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Shakespeare's Bachelorette
This is the Shakespeare/Dating show mash-up you’ve been waiting for!
Read an excerpt and order now.

Apostrophe’s
A silly comedy about how the misuse of apostrophes are ruining the lives of students. Flexible casting, audience participation, and fun staging
Read an excerpt and order now.

Mmmbeth
A hilarious gender-bending take on the Scottish play! Everything goes wrong. The witches take over the storytelling, Queen Duncan would rather open a donut franchise than die, Lady M’s a bloodthirsty June Cleaver, and the murderers are preoccupied with creating a commercial for their services.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Choose an ensemble based show. If the students in your show feel like a community, they’ll be your best advocates to your program.

The Butterfly Queen
We all have the capacity to put others before ourselves regardless of the consequences. That is the theme of The Butterfly Queen. A touching ensemble piece where sacrifice is as simple as a pair of wings.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Shakespeare on a Shoestring: Cymbeline!
Did you know that Cymbeline has all of Shakespeare’s most famous plot devices? It has… Faked Death! Mistaken Identity! Parental Marital Veto! But wait, there’s more!
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Water. Gun. Argument.
An argument is a lie you choose to believe and defend. And a squirt gun would never be mistaken for a real gun, right?
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The Female Edison
Margaret E. Knight was a 19th century inventor with two big but forgotten stories.
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betweenity
This vignette play explores the beats, pauses, and neverending silences in conversation. An excellent class project with parts for everyone.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Choose a play that students relate to. If you want them to participate, choose scripts that speak directly to them.

Stressed
Stress is driving a teen quartet crazy – so much so they can’t stop talking about it. This play is a symphony of sound and character.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Pressure
Four teenagers struggle with pressures. The Refugee, the newbie, the perfectionist and the less than perfect. Everything comes to a head the week before prom.
Read an excerpt and order now.

darklight
darklight examines depression and anxiety in teens. Characters fight their inner thoughts, search for their truths, and have surreal conversations with death. Some fail, some find hope.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Fidget
Kids are constantly being told to hold still. But that’s impossible when all they want to do is move forward at warp speed.
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who are we, who we are
A one-act drama that addresses anxiety and depression in teens.
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Red Tee
Gender, family patterns, traditions, labels… It’s time for role call. Who are you?
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With Liberty and Justice for All
Voices from a BLM protest. They come together as a community, share their voices, and share their stories.
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Completely, Absolutely Normal: Vignettes About LGBTQ+ Teens
Ten interconnected vignettes with LGBTQ+ themes are unified by the emotion and humanity found in anyone who is completely, absolutely normal.
Read an excerpt and order now.